1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a microwave oven, and more particularly to a control apparatus of a microwave oven for selectively controlling microwave oven, grill and combination functions thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a microwave oven is, as illustrated in FIG. 1, comprised of a cooking chamber 1 of a rectangular shape having an opening at a front surface thereof, a magnetron 2 for oscillating high frequency waves into the cooking chamber 1 to thereby heat and cook the food and a heater 3 for forming a heat energy within the cooking chamber 1 to thereby heat and cook the food.
The microwave oven the thus described can be selectively operated as a microwave oven, a grill, or a combination thereof and the like.
In other words, in case of microwave oven cooking, the magnetron is activated to thereby heat and cook the food disposed in the cooking chamber 1 with the high frequency waves, and in case of grill cooking, the heater 3 is operated to heat and cook the food arranged in the cooking chamber 1 with the heat energy, and in case of a combination cooking, the magnetron 2 and the heater 3 are simultaneously activated to heat and cook the food provided in the cooking chamber 1 with the high frequency waves and the heat energy.
In order to selectively activate the magnetron 2 and the heater 3, a control apparatus is installed.
A conventional control apparatus includes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a control panel 10 disposed at a frontal right side of the microwave oven, a time control knob 11 disposed at an upper portion of the control panel 10 so as to establish a cooking time, an output control knob 12 disposed under time control knob 11 so as to adjust an output of the magnetron 2, a selection knob 13 arranged under output control knob 12 the type of cooking, i.e., in order to select microwave oven (i.e. "C"), grill and/or the combination cooking methods, and button a 14 provided under the control panel 10 so as to open a door (not shown) for closing the cooking chamber, by way of a pressing operation.
In the conventional control apparatus thus constructed, when the selection knob 13 points to "0" for microwave oven cooking, and the output control knob 12 is rotated to adjust an output of the magnetron 2, and a cooking time is established by the time control knob 11, the high frequency waves are oscillated into the cooking chamber 1 according to operation of the magnetron 2, to thereby heat and cook the food in the cooking chamber 1.
When the selection knob 13 points to "6" for grill cooking and the time control knob 11 is rotated to thereby establish the cooking time during the grill cooking, the heat energy is concentrated in the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the heater 3 so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 can be heated and cooked.
Furthermore, when the selection knob 13 points to "C" for the combination cooking, and the time control knob 11 is rotated to establish the cooking time, the high frequency waves are oscillated into the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the magnetron 2 and at the same time, the heat energy is concentrated in the cooking chamber 1 by way of the operation of the heater 3, so that the food in the cooking chamber 1 can be heated and cooked.
However, there is a problem involving the conventional control apparatus of a microwave oven, because separate knobs must be actuated to select between the available cooking functions and the power output of the magnetron.
There is another problem in that manufacture of the control panel 10 is more difficult because the selection knob 13 and the output control knob 12 must be separately installed.